Airplanes, Elk and Government

To The Editor:

Over the past 20 years the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has helped put over 6,000,000 acres out West under permanent conservation easements. These easements are willfully entered into by the landowner, and for certain tax incentives, agreed that the land can never be developed, and the elk will always have a home.

For monetary consideration and a benefit to wildlife they give up some aspects of ownership. Do they then wholly own the land?

The city of St. Clair has done a similar thing several times over the years by taking government grants (taxpayers dollars) to develop and enhance the airport for public use.

While some may regret past decisions, it’s unbecoming to whine about them. The St. Clair Missourian editor promotes this whiney attitude by emphasizing and highlighting certain statements. It’s been stated several times that the city wholly owns the airport ground.

A few litmus tests would be the following:

1. Can they sell it? No.

2. Can they control who comes and goes? No.

3. Can they use the property for whatever they want? No.

How can they claim to wholly own the property?

Editor’s Note: Name withheld per request.